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Rights group urges Libyan opposition to make oil deals transparent

Arab World Materials 6 April 2011 15:00 (UTC +04:00)
The US-based Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged the Libyan opposition's Interim Transitional National Council (ITNC) to uphold its promise of transparency in the sale of crude oil and gas.
Rights group urges Libyan opposition to make oil deals transparent

The US-based Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged the Libyan opposition's Interim Transitional National Council (ITNC) to uphold its promise of transparency in the sale of crude oil and gas.

"It should also commit to publish independent auditing reports in the future of any financial transactions associated with oil and gas licensing and sales," the pressure group said.

In a two-page report outlining its vision for the future of Libya, the ITNC has vowed to work to ensure that the country's vast oil wealth is used "for the benefit of the Libyan people."

Shortly after, the ITNC said it had reached a deal with Qatar to market Libyan oil and that it was ready to begin exporting oil from rebel-controlled refineries.

Sources told the German Press Agency dpa this week that the rebel- controlled Zueitina oil pipeline terminal, in the northeastern city of Ajdabiya, is ready for operations and that bank accounts have been created to begin exporting oil.

An oil tanker with a capacity of 1 million barrels reportedly arrived at the Marsa al-Hariga terminal near the port of Tobruk in eastern Libya this week, ready to mark the first export of oil from rebel-held areas of Libya since the conflict began six weeks ago.

Prior to the conflict, Libya was Africa's third-largest oil producer, exporting 1.6 million barrels a day.

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